Chicago vs. Montreal was billed as a potential 2016 Stanley Cup playoff matchup heading into the season. But while the Blackhawks have looked every bit the cup contender out West, the Canadiens have steadily slid down the Eastern Conference standings without their all-world goalie. The Habs now have the unenviable task of facing off against the streaking Blackhawks, who will be going for their ninth win in a row on Thursday.
Read on below for our complete breakdown of Thursday’s terrific Original Six matchup. Meanwhile, check out a couple more matchups featuring Original Six teams with our previews of the Rangers vs. Islanders and Red Wings vs. Coyotes.
[sc:NHLArticles ]Chicago Blackhawks vs. Montreal Canadiens Preview
Where: Bell Centre, Montreal
When: Thursday, January 14, 7:30 PM ET
Line: Chicago Blackhawks (-125) at Montreal Canadiens (+105); total 5.0 – view all NHL lines
TV Broadcast: NBCSN
Betting on the Chicago Blackhawks (28-13-4, 60 pts)
The Chicago Blackhawks couldn’t have started 2016 any better. They’ve won their first six games of the calendar year and have now won eight in a row dating back to 2015. They’ve scored at least three goals in all eight contests.
[sc:NHL240 ]Granted, five of those eight games were at home, and only Arizona would be in the playoffs (with only 48 points, no less) if the postseason started today. But their next opponents, the Montreal Canadiens, have hardly looked like a playoff team for the past month, so they should fit right into the Blackhawks’ wheelhouse.
Art Ross Trophy front-runner Patrick Kane has continued to rack up the points. He has seven thus far in 2016, bringing his total up to 63 on the season. Kane has also recorded three-straight multi-point games on the road, including back-to-back three-point games to end 2015.
Meanwhile, Corey Crawford (24-10-2, 2.20 GAA, .927 save percentage) has arguably been the best goalie in the Western Conference this season. He’s won his first five starts of the New Year, sporting a shiny 1.58 GAA in the process.
Crawford, who is a native of Montreal, is 3-0-2 with a 1.38 GAA in his career against the Habs, and has helped the Blackhawks win their last three meetings with Montreal.
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Betting on the Montreal Canadiens (23-17-3, 49 pts)
The good news for the Montreal Canadiens: they’ve won two of their first four games in January, just one off their win total for the entire month of December.
The bad news: reigning Hart and Vezina Trophy winner Carey Price is going to be out until after the All-Star break, which probably means wins will continue to be few and far between. The Habs have gone a miserable 6-14-0 in 20 games since Price went down with a knee injury, and have dropped down to third in the Atlantic Division.
Rookie Mike Condon (12-10-3, 2.35 GAA, .910 save percentage this season) has predictably struggled in place of Price, but he has seemingly turned the corner just in time to face Patrick Kane and the very dangerous Blackhawks attack. Condon had won three consecutive starts against Tampa Bay, Boston and New Jersey before conceding two goals in a 3-1 loss to Pittsburgh on Saturday.
However, Condon will need some goal support against Chicago, which he hasn’t been getting as consistently as he’d like. The Habs scored more than two goals just twice in the entire month of December. They’ve perked up a little, though, with two games of three or more goals in their first four games of 2016.
Writer’s Prediction
The Blackhawks (-125) pile on the misery for the Habs, as they win 3-1 on the road.
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